Death, Delusion, All A Chimera
by Silveryz
Summary: Natsume & Hotaru, Mikan & Ruka, each group stranded in different places, both deemed the other gone, gone where they can’t follow, not yet. Reactions varies. But the real question is: If you had lost the one you loved, what would you do?     NxM – RxH
1. Chapter 1 : A Sleeping Start

-**-- Death, Delusion… A Chimera… ---**

**...Chapter 1 : A Sleeping Start...**

An auburn haired girl was sleeping soundly in her small bed; a tiny smile plastered on her seemingly angelic face, suggesting that she was having a divine dream. She snuggled deeper into her warm nest of a blanket, a sigh of contentment slipping from her lips as she turned in her sleep. Suddenly, her eyes popped open, revealing bright-brown eyes filled with panic. She hastily twisted to look at the alarm clock on her table: 7.45am.

"Oh no!! Not again!!!" she exclaimed in pure frustration. It was the third day in a row.

She frantically struggled out of her pile of blankets and managed to fall over in the process, stumbling all the way into the bathroom.

After hastily closing her door, she started sprinting towards her classroom as fast as she could. Clumsy as she was, she almost fell down countless times and was excessively apologizing to people as she slammed into them. Scowling faces followed her scampering.

In the end, as was expected of her usual luck, she was capable of crashing into the person she least wanted to ---- Natsume.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch…" cried Mikan, attempting to stand up properly while simultaneously rubbing her pained butt.

"Hey, Polka-dots, can't you get to class the normal way?" asked Natsume in his typically monotonous voice.

"Oh, Natsume! Can't you stop calling me Polka-dots? And what do you mean the normal way? Don't you walk to class like I do?" came Mikan's puzzled reply.

"Yeah? Most people who walk the normal way don't ram into others."

Just then, the great bell of Alice Academy rang, signifying the start of lessons.

"Late again! Jinno is going to kill me this time and it'll be your fault. Don't you care if I die?!!" Mikan shouted back.

"It wouldn't bother me one bit if you weren't here." Natsume said, calmly walking past her, entering their chaotic class.

"You are so heartless!" Mikan accused, running after him. "Huh? Where is Jinno?"

"You are such a muddled girl. It's Friday, Mr. Narumi's class is first." came Hotaru's soft voice from behind her book.

"Hi!! Hotaru! Good morning!" Mikan exclaimed with a huge smile, her face instantly lighting up with happiness. She bounded over to Hotaru, trying to get close enough to give her a hug. Hotaru customarily retaliated with her baka gun, sending Mikan sprawling over to the other end of the classroom.

Seconds later, Mr. Narumi entered the class...

Meanwhile, in the middle of nowhere, a metallic building could be seen poking its head out from the natural scenery. Inside, a group of people united by their similar hate of the Alice Academy were discussing how to ultimately destroy it. They were referred to as the Anti-Alice.

"Are you sure of this?" came a musical male voice.

"If it works, we'll be but a faint memory in their minds. We could use that to our advantage and put our plans in motion." a female voice replied, her voice sounded confident but inside, she was full of doubts.

"We can never turn time back again."

"I understand that fact. This Alice-stone is too weak, too old. Once, that's all. It will work only once more." she confirmed.

"Can't that nullifying girl undo its effects?" he questioned.

"She can't." she answered, full of certainty. "She could… While it is being done. But after, she can't change it. Time is one whole matter in itself. What's done is done….."

"Time. How does that Alice-stone work?"

"This particular Alice can move the present. It can fast-forward or reverse time. Nothing can change it once it's done…. Except… Unless…" she paused. Then she gazed into the distance, shrugged and slightly shook her head.

"Unless…?"

"Unless something extraordinary happened. The bearer of this Alice once told us, apart from his Alice, only a truly amazing occurrence could reverse the flow of time."

"We need to be sure of what that means. What kind of incident will trigger that change?"

"Strong feelings. Powerful emotions."

"An Alice that changes time… Very well…"

"So it shall begin…"

Mr. Narumi entered class with his cheerful smile. "Good morning!" he greeted his class, full of enthusiasm. He was wearing his natural white shirt and black pants.

"Mr. Narumi is wearing something normal today. That's rare." came Sumire's snide comment.

"It just means that there is nothing exciting happening soon." Anna replied as she tried to give Mr. Narumi some support.

"And that the relieve teacher might be teaching instead." said Nonoko, joining in to rescue Mr. Narumi.

Just as Mr. Narumi began to take attendance, everyone felt an abrupt shift in their surroundings. It was a sickening feel, as if they were being twisted in many unimaginable ways.

Then, all of a sudden, a serene feel washed over them. They felt like they could stop their life at that breathtaking moment and rest forever in that tranquil time. Treasuring that precious split second of life, a picture taken and prized above all else.

Slowly, unknowingly, their eyes closed… And they entered a deep, profound sleep... Never in all their life, and beyond all reservations, would they have envisioned what they would wake up to find…


	2. Chapter 2 : An Astonishing Awakening

**--- Death, Delusion, All A Chimera ---**

**...Chapter 2 : An Astonishing Awakening...**

Gradually, one by one, Alice wielders all over the world awoke from their strange slumber…

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"That was… Unexpected" the man remarked.

"The Alice-stone was too weak." replied the woman.

"You look the same, lets hope it worked." he said, staring critically at the tall, beautiful burgundy haired woman in front of him.

"Neither have you changed. But I'm sure it worked. The wrenching feel was just a side effect… The Alice-stone has been used to its absolute limit." she commented, holding up a fading neon-light-blue Alice stone.

"Everyone who has an Alice would've guessed what has transpired."

"Others would simply dismiss such possible thoughts."

"What would take place next, we can only speculate in vain."

"They would have begun to wake…"

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"What a peculiar sensation…" Mr. Narumi's voice reverberated through the deathly quiet class as he woke up. He ran his hand through his soft light-gold hair.

Noise was returning to the Alice Academy, returning it to its former atmosphere. As the students started waking, they stood up and stretched, wondering what had happened.

Swiftly, cries of alarm echoed throughout the academy as the students stared in horror at one another. They were dumbstruck by what they saw. Everyone had grown older… In their minds, everyone harboured the same thoughts: How many years have passed? Why am I not aware of it? Why don't I have memories of it? Why is my once clear 'childhood' memory so fuzzy? Everyone was bewildered.

Mikan just gaped at all of her classmates, her mouth falling open in shock. Her gaze immediately snapped to Natsume. _Wow... He looks… amazing?_

Natsume groggily stood up, running a hand through his raven locks to clear his head. He was tall and lean, it was also obvious that he was extremely handsome from the open-mouthed-looks the girls gave him. As his crimson eyes took in the situation before him, a bewildered expression crossed his face, which was instantly replaced with an angry expression. Without a word, he rapidly exited the classroom.

Mikan, just as dumfounded as the rest, followed the orders given by the teachers and quietly made her way to her dorm room. The Alice Academy students had been awarded the day off.

A mighty explosion occurred as Hotaru tried out her new invention on Mikan.

Mikan, too deep in thought to whine and complain, just turned and stared at Hotaru. "What?" she asked, her tone as different as can be from her usually loud and annoying nature.

Hotaru's face remained stoic as ever. "Stop pondering. Your brain can't stand the pressure. It's been immobile for too long." She nonchalantly replied.

"Oh." Mikan said and gave out a deep sigh.

Hotaru walked over to Mikan and silently took her hand, leading her back to her room. It was a rare display of friendship from Hotaru.

"Don't ever make me do this again, Baka." Hotaru said as she closed the door.

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The door to the Dangerous Ability class slammed open as Natsume Hyuuga entered the room, his eyes flaming.

"What happened?" Natsume asked, straight to the point.

"Ahhh… We are so glad you could come so quickly Natsume. You don't know how worried I was for your safely." came Persona's velvety voice.

"Cut the crap. What happened?" Natsume sharply cut through.

"Time has flitted by. We suspect it to be the work of the Anti-Alice." Persona promptly replied, his voice once again serious.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Natsume questioned.

"Not me, you and your friends." Persona answered, staring Natsume straight in the eye.

Natsume's eyes narrowed. The temperature in the room rapidly rose.

"We would be able to utilize your Alices. And based on your 'friendship', I'm sure all of you will be safe." Persona stressed on the word _friendship_. He was layering his words, he clearly didn't believed that their friendship would help in anyway and he was definitely threatening that something bad would happen if Natsume and his friends rejected the mission.

"Who will be going?"

"The usual, you, Ruka, Hotaru and Mikan." Persona calmly replied.

"They can't help. I'll do this alone." came Natsume's brisk answer.

"No"

"What?" The temperature in the room rose a few notches.

"I said no. They will help and they will make themselves useful." Persona's tone was final.

Natsume's hands curled into fists as he strode out the room. At that moment he was a terrifying sight to behold. His ruby eyes dangerously flashing, the air around him shimmering with the heat emanating from him.

"I'll send the information you shall require. We'll meet up again tonight." Pesona's voice followed Natsume, reverberating through the empty hallway.

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A/N: Hi, i really hoped you enjoyed this. Please feel free to comment be it good or bad, it'll help me improve.


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